Worldwide

While in some parts of Europe the arts are trapped by market reality and squeezed by restless demands for economic surplus, in others, creative freedom is guzzled by political agendas and suffocated by the presence of the state in the arts.

Liberalism, freedom, public support, state interference; are these notions - being on our tongue every now and then - perceived in the same way in different historical, economic and social contexts? This section gives us an insight into the various paradigms, challenges and aspirations prevailing in different parts of the globe.

In a story rarely told before, this is an invitation to discover a different and surprising Iran, and to experience its dynamic art scene. Most art forms in Iran are closely monitored and artists have to perform discretely, staging shows in caves, private art galleries or isolated fields where officials won’t see them.

This report has been written with the aim of investigating and documenting how the State of Emergency (SOE) measures introduced after the July 15, 2016 coup attempt in Turkey have affected the country’s culture and art worlds.

Fair practice refers to a better labour market position for artists and fair business practices on the part of commissioning clients. The Dutch Fair Practice Code was drawn up jointly by makers, employers, trade unions, professional groups and other partners in the creative and cultural sectors, following a report by the Netherlands’ Council for Culture and Social and Economic Council. The draft version of the Code is now available also in English.

The current paper presents those processes which characterizes the appointment of a leadership of Hungarian cultural institutions. Public theaters, performing arts institutions and independent theaters stay in the focus of the paper.

In the third issue of Polish Theatre Journal, we examine institutional practices in Polish theatre in the context of political and social changes. We analyse conditions for freedom of artistic expression and of mechanisms of censorship; we observe significant conflicts and struggles in theatre life, and scrutinize the entanglement of economic, political and aesthetic determinants.

The new theatre season in Germany, especially in Berlin, has started with a lot of highlights. But the big news was that a group of about 100 German theatre activists called Staub zu Glitzer (Dust to Glitter) squatted in the Berlin Volksbühne between 22-26 September 2017.

Diversity is a hot topic in UK performing arts as organisations try to better reflect their communities. But are there issues that are still neglected? In the second of a series of two blogs, find out what artists and practitioners think we should be discussing but aren't...

If Africa is the cradle of civilisation, it is also the birthplace of artistic exploration: this continent produced the rhythms and call-and-response that continue to shape the contemporary music landscape.